Brand ambassadors of Swachh Bharat Mission called on President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated Union Minister of Urban Development for involving distinguished public figures as Swachh Bharat Mission's Brand Ambassadors.
He said that over the past one year, significant strides have been made in Swachh Bharat Mission.
"However much more needs to be done. In addition to building affordable and sustainable Swachh Infrastructure, the mission's success is equally dependent on each individual's action. Hence, the strategy is to engage the country's icons as Swachh Bharat Ambassadors to make it a 'Jan Andolan'," he said.
President Mukherjee said that Swachh Bharat Ambassadors have a huge potential to influence public to adopt safe sanitation practices and integrate them into their daily lives. An Ambassador does not only encourage his/her followers to imbibe the spirit of a Clean India but also motivates them to become Swachh Bharat Ambassadors themselves, making this mission a true form of 'Jan Andolan'. The role of Ambassadors is not only to create awareness and motivate citizens, but also to join hands on-ground and participate in mission activities.
M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs released a Coffee Table Book on 'Swachh Bharat Mission' and presented its first copy to the President.
A curtain raiser of the Swachh Bharat Anthem was also presented by Babul Supriyo, MoS for Urban Development, Prasoon Joshi, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendosa on the occasion.